Loyola University New Orleans awarded its prestigious Ignatian Scholarships for Academic Excellence to valedictorians, a professor in the making, an aspiring writer, a future music educator, a world traveler and other exceptional students this academic year. Loyola awarded the nine scholarships to outstanding students hailing from Louisiana to places as far away as Trinidad and Tobago.

These highly competitive scholarships are awarded to students who reflect Loyola’s commitment to academic excellence and outstanding contributions to one’s community. More than 450 students competed for these scholarships and selection was based on academic achievement, community engagement and leadership qualities. All Ignatian scholarship recipients are members of the University Honors Program.

Scholarship award winners include:

Benjamin Bucholtz of Tampa, Fla.,

Bret Buckel of Meraux, La.,

Meredith Faulkner of Mandeville, La.,

Joseph Gehringer of Omaha, Neb.,

Cameron Hall of Boutte, La.,

Madeline Horta of Metairie, La.,

Khadija Moses of St. Joseph in Trinidad and Tobago,

Michael Pashkevich of Mandeville, La., and

Adam Stagg of Baton Rouge, La.

“These students represent the best and brightest students in our talented Class of 2017,” said Keith Gramling, dean of undergraduate admissions at Loyola. “They join a class that is committed to Loyola’s rigorous Jesuit educational foundation and high level of engagement outside the classroom. We are excited about their contributions and potential.”

The scholarships are helping the students pursue their dreams. “It is due to the Ignation Scholarship that I am able to attend Loyola. Thanks to the generosity of the university and help from the administrative staff, my dream of attending Loyola was made possible,” said Buckel, a valedictorian of Holy Cross School in New Orleans.

“I really appreciate Loyola’s dedication to ‘Cura Personalis.’ It makes me feel that Loyola is committed to me as a person,” Stagg said. “I also appreciate the Jesuit approach to thought, logic and problem-solving that has made them such great educators for centuries. The Jesuit commitment to social justice is very inspiring and important in today’s society.” Stagg, driven by a passion for studying other cultures and learning other languages, hopes to one day become a professor.

The scholarship recipients were also attracted to Loyola’s diverse community of students—evident in The Princeton Review’s recent ranking of Loyola as fifth in the nation for lots of race-class interaction, according to its 2014 edition college guide, “The Best 378 Colleges.”

“One thing that I am particularly excited about is the diversity of the student body. When I was at orientation, I was struck by how many people I met from all over the country and from all different kinds of backgrounds, and I can’t wait to meet more of these students,” said Bucholtz, an aspiring music educator or band director with an enthusiasm for teaching inner-city children.

“Loyola fits everything that I want in a college. It is small enough that you can feel connected to the community, but big enough to offer a lot of diversity,” Stagg said. “Loyola offers the kind of personal attention to its students that will help them truly succeed in the future.”

LoyNews is an e-newswire produced by the Loyola University New Orleans Office of Public Affairs. LoyNews is distributed weekly to local, regional and national news media outlets, communicating the latest news and accomplishments of the university and its community.